There are many ways to work out and these days with access to the internet, it is easy to spend day after day searching for the “best” way to train. Endless articles on variation on variation and people trying to sell you new systems.

The old ways of training are often the best!

Have a look at some of this old footage (video1) from Russian wrestler Alexander “The Experiment” Karelin and also some Russion boxing footage (video2)

You will notice that there are many shared elements:

• Kettlebell training
• Olympic lifting
• Bag drills
• Tabata
• Barbell work
• Medicine ball work
• Bodyweight training

The most important and quickest way to prepare for your combat sport or martial art is by performing that sport. A boxer must box, a wrestler must wrestle. If you want to be good at Krav Maga then you must train in Krav Maga. Spend time on the mats to improve and then add supplemental training to give you that extra edge. *Note: Krav Magas origins were in Boxing and Wrestling, hence why we train a lot of both at the club. It also allows us safe ways to spar frequently at a high intensity.

Programming

You must, when looking to work out what extra work you are going to do, take into consideration how hard you are training. If you train in one of “those” martial arts where you don’t break a sweat or hit each other (seriously they do exist) then you can do as much supplemental work as you want. But if you train in a proper martial art where you spar every session, wrestle, box and fight each other then you will know that this is demanding on your body.

Remember that strength and conditioning work does not need to be elaborate or complex to be effective. Simple programs done at a high intensity and supplemented with a good diet will serve you well.

Sample Routine: 

So how do I add all this into my training?

Ok, assuming you train hard in a combat sport/self defence system 3 days a week, try splitting it like this.

In terms of periodization I personally tend to spilt my training as such, bearing in mind level of experience etc but typically a microcycle for me will be based on a split such as 6 days on 1 day off. If I feel I need more rest I will reduce this accordingly ad hoc. I tend to aim for (on a microcycle) GPP of minimum 2 days heavy using Sadiv sets of deadlift, bench press or clean and press. I aim for 2 to 3 days of Combat Specific Conditioning (like we run in class) and then ideally anywhere up to 15 – 20 skill based sessions of varying intensity based and constantly working around the most important factor: recovery whilst allowing for growth (not hypertrphy growth – my aim is skill and ability). I have to split my training so for example:

Monday will be AM: GPP olympic lifting PM: teachingTues: AM Sparring/krav maga PM Conditioning Eve: teachingWeds: AM – sparring/kravmaga PM Conditioning and Skill etc etc the rest of the week is similar.

I’ve been working on this type of split for a long time, I used to train 3 days a week at the gym in the AM, then 3 nights a week in classes and then daily doing my own personal skill development – eg solo drills

I use jump rope 5/6 days/week and it is well integrated within my training – I rate it highly as a quick go to resource that has many carry over qualities, when the weather is nice I’ll do my roadwork (like a good boy lol), unfortunately it is time consuming so I don’t do as much as I would like, instead I focus on HIIT rather than LSD.

So a good form of microcycle for someone training twice a week would be:

Krav Maga Martial Arts Training Cycle Example:

Mon Krav – skill and conditioning Tue – heavy lift Wed – rest Thu – Krav – skill and conditinng Fri – heavy lift Sat – LSD Sun – rest

BUT this completely changes depending on your goal, age, how well you recover, how much sleep you get, how long you have been training etc etc. You also need to bear in mind that no matter how good your programming without GOOD QUALITY NUTRITION AND CORRECT CALORIE SURPLUS OR DEFICIT then you will struggle to meet your goals.